How to Tune a Sideband CB without test equipment - for D858 CB Radios

[@GR-RadioSouthCarolina]

I got realistic Navaho trc 457 in the process of getting it back to working

[@bcoolradios9765]

need any help, let me know always willing to help the 11 meter gang

[@michap1356]

Enjoy your work but haven't been able to find you on Ebay. What's your address there?

[@gixerags750]

I love waking up to another bcool video, any chance you can give into more detail about driving the frequency counter from the PLL N codes please? Stay cool. PeaceN73oz

[@bcoolradios9765]

OK so here is the scoop, I use those china 6 digit counters, as they let you "de-program" the IF offsets and they let you choose the offset. for most people, they attach that counter to the 1st IF and remove the 7.8 or 10.965 to get the right numbers, but that will show all offsets on SSB and AM. D858 CBs have a crazy switching scheme that uses the USB crystal for AM TX so it looks a bit odd. So... if you connect the counter to like example TP 11 in a Cobra 142/148 then the counter is reading the 1MHz N codes, but they change in 10kc just like the channels. So Ch 40 will be like 1.06MHz so you "add" 26 or close to, so the radio will read 27.4050. OK so no more crazy offsets, all modes will read 27.4050. BUT... there is always a but right. You will not see the fine tuning of the clarifier. is that more important > kind of a personal; choice. But give me some feedback what works better, seeing the fine tune or not seeing the offsets? Those china counters are nice, they let you add or subtract an offset... of any freq PS on a D858 i connected the counter to Q31 at the N gate and padded the signal by 10k ohms

[@gixerags750]

@BCool Radios not having the clarifier tracking the frequency counter annoys me. Since I came from a Cobra 200DX and Galaxy 2547 who's frequency was tracked by clarifier when I got my AT66666 and SS6900 I couldn't really get use to the clarifier not changing the displayed frequency. As you said a personal preference, I guess I will have to make that choice when I finally find a mint TRC457. BY the way is the N code pll pick up for the frequency counter the same for a Robyn/Ferris 858? Stay Coool. PeaceN73oz!!

[@gixerags750]

Fkn BRILLIANT stuff m8... PeaceN73oz

[@bcoolradios9765]

The D858 sideband CBs are Great, even after 40 years

[@StandingStones1776-vb6zn]

Hi B Cool, I have no test stuff I want to tune my Cobra142 to be on freq when broadcasting on SSB LSB .and max output

[@brucebcooll5335]

Hello, its most important to adjust the LSB Transmit adjustment. The stock radio is locked on TX and will drift out of spec over time. So without equipment... it does makes it harder.. But just use a 2nd SSB radio and tune it to Skip or others talking so you know its on freq. Then Adjust the radios TX offset adjustment with a small screwdriver while the radio is transmitting. Do that until your voice is clear and easy to understand on the 2nd radio. That will let you use the SSB as that has to be on Freq or nobody can understand ya, AM is no biggy and most do not use USB . PS this is why I like to "Unlock" the clarifier so RX and TX are the same. Stock radios for some reason have the TX locked, that is no good. ALSO do not worry about Max Power, these radios work and sound best when kept at 4 to 5 watts, when you crank them up... the modulation suffers and goes down.

[@StandingStones1776-vb6zn]

@brucebcooll5335 hi Bruce, thank you for talking on this doi need a antenna for both?

[@brucebcooll5335]

@@StandingStones1776-vb6zn that is always best, but if only 1 antenna... hook up the 2nd CB to tune the SSB on Ch 38 LSB, then disconnect the antenna to put on the 1st CB that is not in turn, you will key up the TX on the 1st one while tuning, so it has to have an Antenna or a Dummy Load on its output. The Zero Beat using feedback works great.

[@gixerags750]

You know how you said you pad down the Chinese frequency counters to 9v, if I hooked up one of those counters to my variable lab power supply and oscilloscope, would that noise above that 9v threshold show up as a type of ripple on the scope as i raise the power supply above 9v?. Ps I am still the novice. Stay Cool. PeaceN73oz

[@brucebcooll5335]

Thanks... yea not a great regulator design on them cheap counters as it does have a 5V reg onboard. I have seen some folks add a large cap to that 5v output. These cheap counters work great because you can remove the 7.8 MHz IF offset with its built-in programing. But sometimes they do bleed into the RX, other times they dampen the RX sensitivity, sometimes it's common mode noise from the power supply... Yet sometimes times they works just as is. I find they work OK on 8V most of the time. PS its the LED drivers that may not be regulated??

[@brucebcooll5335]

So yeah it's that driver noise that creeps into the CB chassis, as the RX is quite sensitive to noise. CB radios do not have a good p/s design, 5-6 parts and a massive transformer. So ground noise is really the issue, better grounding of the input can work but that can also change the capacitance of the 1st IF and that is never good. Hey happy to help & good luck... I say you don't know... until you know. 73s